Quality of Life of the Homeless and Restored Women with Psychosis

Abstract

The present study endeavoured to evaluate the quality of life of the homeless and restored women with psychosis. The influence of their living conditions in three different psycho-social milieus and the disability levels on their Quality of Life was also examined. This study was carried out on women clients with sychosis who received medical and psycho-social care under three different programs of Iswar Sankalpa (a Kolkata - based NGO), India. Methods : A matched group design using mixed method technique was adopted for the study. The sample of 50 clients with psychosis was comprised of 16 homeless clients under the Out-reach program, 18 homeless clients under the Shelter home program and 16 previously homeless clients under the Restoration program. The sample was evaluated using the IDEAS and WHOQOL-BREF. After collection of data, statistical analysis was done using the SPSS- version 22. Results : The results mirrored that a statistically significant negative correlation exists between the clients’ disability and two domains of QOL, these are- social relationships and environment. Regarding the psychological health and environment domains of QOL, the Shelter home and the Restoration groups significantly differed from the Outreach group. The mildly disabled clients differed significantly from the severely disabled clients in respect to the social relationships domain of the QOL. Conclusion : The knowledge of specific areas of dissatisfaction in QOL of the women with psychosis may have implications for the service providers and service planners for more improved medico and psychosocial intervention.Key Words : QOL- Quality of Life, SZ- Schizophrenia.